The Syracuse Orange take on the Iowa State Cyclones in Las Vegas, NV, in the Players Era Festival. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET on TNT.
Iowa State is favored by -10 points on the spread with a moneyline of -600. The total is set at 152.5 points.
Here’s my Syracuse vs. Iowa State predictions and college basketball picks for November 26, 2025.
Syracuse vs Iowa State Prediction
My Pick: Iowa State -10
My Syracuse vs Iowa State best bet is on the Cyclones to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Syracuse vs. Iowa State Odds
| Syracuse Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | +450 |
| Iowa State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | -600 |
- Syracuse vs Iowa State spread: Iowa State -10
- Syracuse vs Iowa State over/under: 152.5 points
- Syracuse vs Iowa State moneyline: Syracuse +450, Iowa State -600
Syracuse vs Iowa State College Basketball Betting Preview
Iowa State had every excuse to have a clunky performance versus Creighton. Instead, the Cyclones asserted their defensive dominance and held Creighton to 0.88 PPP.
With Tamin Lipsey likely out again, we should get another discount on the Cyclones in the finale of the Players Era Festival.
I love how the Cyclones can shut down this Syracuse offense. The Orange have a pair of guards in Naithan George and J.J. Starling that want to attack the hoop, but that’s a very difficult task against T.J. Otzelberger’s no-middle defense.
The result of many of these possessions will be tough perimeter jumpers. That’s a huge advantage for Iowa State. Syracuse is a brutal shooting squad, connecting on just 29% of its shots from deep. Plus, the Orange are just 56% from the foul line, which ranks 364th nationally.
Another area of struggle for the Orange that favors Iowa State is rebounding. The Cyclones scrap and claw for offensive boards, snagging 37% of their misses. On the flip side, Syracuse has a smaller lineup that allows a 34% offensive rebounding rate.
Syracuse isn’t fully healthy, either. Donnie Freeman, the team’s leading scorer, didn’t play in either of the first two games and his athleticism and length would be nice to have in this matchup. With Freeman out, Syracuse has leaned on freshman Sadiq White Jr. and sophomore shooter Tyler Betsey.
The transition hasn’t been as smooth for Iowa State without its leading scorer, but getting 20 points from freshman Killyan Toure against Creighton was huge. He's looked composed in the biggest moments of his freshman campaign and is in line for another big game.
Moreover, Iowa State has the size and skill to attack Syracuse at the hoop. I’m not sure which is a bigger factor — the jump in competition or Freeman being absent — but Syracuse allowed Kansas to shoot 50% from inside the arc.
Compare that to Syracuse’s 37% 2-point field goal defense for the season, and it’s an outlier. I don’t buy into Cuse being a 37% 2-point defense. The bigger and more athletic the matchups get, the tougher it’ll be to sustain such a wild number.
One of the main attackers for the Cyclones is point forward Joshua Jefferson. The Vegas native assumed the ball-handling duties with Lipsey out, and he crushed it against the Bluejays. Jefferson scored 18 points with five rebounds and six assists.
He’s the main reason why Iowa State scored 1.18 PPP without its point guard.
I buy into Syracuse to a certain extent, but this is an awful matchup for the Orange. The shooting woes are legitimate and Iowa State is the worst team to play for a poor shooting squad.
The Cyclones' relentless ball pressure will force Syracuse into making tough passes and late-clock perimeter jumpers. It happened to Creighton and it’ll happen to Syracuse.
Give me Iowa State laying the points.
My Pick: Iowa State -10
